St. John’s ex-cabbie’s sexual assault trial delayed

Lulzim Jakupaj was in a Nova Scotia prison when his case was called in Newfoundland Supreme Court Monday

The trial for a former cab driver accused of sexually assaulting two women has been delayed.

Lulzim (Leon) Jakupaj’s case was called in Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court in St. John’s Monday morning, but it couldn’t proceed because the 33-year-old wasn’t there.

Jakupaj is serving a sentence at Springhill Institution in Nova Scotia and hadn’t been transferred to St. John’s for trial — reportedly because the Crown failed to complete the required documents. A warrant has been issued to have him brought to St. John’s, and his case will be called again Tuesday afternoon.

Jakupaj, a former City Wide Taxi driver, is facing two charges of sexual assault. One assault is alleged to have happened March 21-22, 2016 in Mount Pearl, while the other allegedly took place March 31, 2016 in Paradise. Jakupaj is said to have been on duty both times.

The case would have seen at least a short delay in any case: the courthouse was closed around 10:30 for the rest of the morning due to a water pipe issue in the building.

Jakupaj was sentenced in June to four years behind bars for breaking into a Kilbride home while working. He dropped a female passenger off at her home around 3 a.m. on May 21, 2016, then went inside the apartment minutes later.

The woman’s ex-boyfriend testified he saw Jakupaj peering in the bedroom door, then ran after him. The man confronted Jakupaj in the kitchen, where Jakupaj elbowed him in the eye and took off, he said.